Seth Jones looks like real deal to me

PORTLAND, ORE. – What a day. My first full day ever in Portland couldn’t have been much better. I got to see much of the city, got to experience some of its finer places, including a doughnut place everybody told me to go to called Voodoo Doughnuts. The maple bacon doughnut was as good as advertised.
Best of all, I got to see tonight’s Portland Winterhawks-Edmonton Oil Kings game at the Rose Garden, Game 1 of the Western Hockey League finals. I got to see Seth Jones play in person for the first time too.

And, uh, yeah the Avs MUST take him. Although Jones’ Winterhawks lost 4-1, I saw why scouts have drooled over the kid.

The thing I most noticed: his skating. He’s very smooth. He skates effortlessly. He has a great backward stride too, kind of like a figure skater’s footwork moving side to side and backward.

Next thing I noticed: his first pass out of the zone. Very sure, very calm, no panic, no blind dumps up the glass.

Next thing: his decision-making in the offensive zone, especially on the power play. He puts the puck on net. He has a big slap shot, but knows how to thread a wrist shot though in traffic. He moves continually with the puck, dancing on the blue line with the puck looking for a better angle. He didn’t just stand there and shoot and get the shot blocked like so many other D-men do.

He’s very comfortable with the puck on his stick, and he seems to have that natural instinct of where a play is going and gets there first. He works the angles well, cutting guys off before they get going, using his long reach to his advantage in poke-checking pucks away.

Keep in mind: this probably wasn’t a great game for him. He and the team hadn’t played for a while and at times the rust showed. He made a bad pass in the offensive zone that led to a breakout for the Oil Kings. But he also got back and broke the play up right away.

Jones has taken the occasional knock from critics that he isn’t physical or mean enough for a guy his size. I can understand some of that maybe, as there were times when he seemed a little – mmm, I’m not saying “passive” necessarily, but maybe not as rabidly aggressive as you might expect or want. He doesn’t seem to look for the big, huge, rocking hits on guys. He seems more content with just breaking plays up with his stick and body position and not the force of the body itself.
And yet, that is reallllly nitpicking here. And there were times when he did some pushing and shoving on guys. There were a couple times when he just rubbed guys out in the corners and took the puck away. He didn’t take any grief out there from other guys. But he wasn’t out there slamming guys with timed open-ice hits or hacking and whacking at everything in sight.

To me, he seemed like a really big version of Ryan Suter. And I am not saying he’s as good as Suter already, or will be anytime soon. But I can see the potential there for being as good or better than him some day. Jones’ idol was Nick Lidstrom. That seems like the guy he aspires to really be like – and yet he’s much bigger already than Lidstrom ever was.

There was a quote in the draft preview issue of the Hockey News, currently on newsstands now, where a scout was quoted as saying something like “There’s a reason why these guys (like Shea Weber) get $100 million contracts from teams. It’s because these kinds of D-men don’t come around very often, and when you have a chance at one you can’t pass it up.”

Sounds about right to me. The Avs can’t pass this guy up. Even on what was probably a sub-par night for him, he still was one of the best players on the ice.

– – – – – –
I talked with Jones during the day, and we’ll have a story on his weekend in Monday’s paper. I won’t give it all away, but, yes, he has thought about what it might be like to get picked by the Avs and live again in Denver, like he did when he was a kid.

– – – – –
Members of the Avs were in attendance, including left winger and former Winterhawk Cody McLeod. Chief scout Rick Pracey was also there. Pracey can’t come right out and say who the team will pick. But let’s just say that I feel pretty confident the Avs will select Seth Jones come June 30 in Newark, N.J. after talking with him and others.

All good news. To be honest I would rather have s guy that is focused on correct positioning than a guy that lets that slide in exchange for the big hit. Especially since he isn’t a huge guy in NHL terms. Maybe that will serve to keep him out of the infirmary so much in his early career. Lost time to injury doesn’t help anyone.

Chantal

Lidstrom was never a physical defenseman, Suter, Weber, Seabrook aren’t either, but look at their career. Wow!

Jimbotronn

On the other hand, EJ is not a physical defenseman, and people give him endless crap about not hitting anybody.

Go AVS

EJ plays his best games when he’s physical. When he’s into his “men against boys” mode and delivers a huge hit early to set the tone.

You know, I really believe EJ has it in him. He has all the tools. He has shown us flashes. With the right coach, he could become what everyone knows he can be…

Jimbotronn

Oh I completely agree, he SHOULD be a physical defenseman, and he has the ability and certainly the size to do so. But he does go into stretches where he doesn’t really hit a lot, and even when he’s playing well positionally, people still notice his lack of hitting.

But I also agree with shaker’s statement that a guy concerned with correct positioning is better than a guy who ignores positioning to drop the boom. I think EJ is still struggling to find a balance between those two things.

I guess what I meant to get at originally was that when a bigger guy doesn’t play physical defense, nobody notices he’s any good unless he’s REALLY good. If, as Dater notes, Jones is not a particularly physical defenseman, he WILL get criticized for it.

Puck Me Up

Yeah, that’s true. But if E.J. played any part of his game consistently, he wouldn’t get so much crap. He doesn’t produce much offense (which is exactly what all the scouts were raving about before he was drafted) and he often fails to play “tough enough” to be considered a threat to any team in the NHL. I think if he could do one or the other well, he wouldn’t have so many people ragging on him all the time. Personally, I just wish he would establish his own style and stick to it, whatever that may be.

Jimbotronn

Agreed. This is why I don’t think he’s anywhere near a “bust”, and I’m not with those who think the trade for him was awful. EJ has flashes of brilliance, but he still has the look of a guy trying to find his place in the NHL. The coaching change could go a long way towards making EJ reach his potential. The skills are all there… well, maybe not the shot, but if he can find his “style”
and stay within that, he can be a dominant defenseman and a valuable contributor to the offense.

Having EJ on the team could prove very valuable if/when the Avs draft Jones. Few people know the ins and outs of being a sure-fire #1 D prospect, but having EJ to turn to could really help Seth keep things in perspective when things aren’t going his way.

flyfysher

Agreed, totally.

EnzoSin

E.J. hardly ever shoots the puck either, which makes no sense because his shot isn’t all bad.

Puck Me Up

Also true. I’ve noticed that when he does shoot the puck, he does so directly in front of the defender and his shot is often blocked before it ever gets near the net. He’s one of the most frustrating players on the Avs squad in my book. The guy does have talent, but he often seems to be playing in panic mode.

Db

EJs biggest problem is being on a team with no defensive depth or skill so he’s asked to be offensive, mostly by AD, and defensive all the time. With jones taking care of positional d EJ would be free to play the hard hitting d he is capable of. That is IF the next coaching staff picks an identity and sticks to it

Andrew K Wolfe

Especially when today’s hockey game is changing pace because of increasing rules to protect players. Quick moves that come from correct positioning will become more valuable that the ability to knock someone off their feet. Something that doesn’t bode well for former Avs pick Duncan Siemens.

shaker

Ugh I hope you’re wrong on Siemens. Considering the picks that went to the Caps that would make the top half of that draft a great big nothing…..

Matt

From everything I’ve read and seen, sounds like the guy has off the charts potential. Type of guy who’s almost sure to succeed at the NHL level. As a Canucks fan, this helps ease the pain of the retarded realignment. Avs are gonna be a force to be reckoned with; a team built around Seth Jones and Landeskog will be fun to watch.
‘One’ of the best players on the ice isn’t really something to rave about for a guy who’s gonna go first overall next year though. Just saying.

Matt

Drouin is the player the Avs need to pick if they’re serious about winning hockey games.

If all they want to do is sell more tickets by having a former local hockey player on the team, then Jones is hands down the right pick.

The thing is, we all know how the Kroenkes operate. They have zero interest in the Avs being successful in the standings. They’re happy to just sell tickets so that they can take that revenue and give out huge contracts to Nuggets players.

rango

After watching Kane-magic again last night I would say it’s tough decision who are we gonna pick. If Drouin (Next Kane) really pans out, he’s not bad choice at all.

But I still hope we’re gonna pick Jones, cos our defence last season was HORRIBLE! I’m not concerned about offense at all when we just get the puck over the blueline…

Lindy Ruff should be hired already…

austin19

So, what you’re saying that there are only valid arguments for picking Drouin? And that Jones was a loser who was only hyped because he partly grew up in Denver? Have you ever even seen the 2 guys? I mean really seen them, not just some highlight vids on youtube?

Nick, Quebec

i lke Drouin and Mckinnon a lot but we need a defenseman ! when Eric Johnson is in your top 2 defenseman you are in DEEP DEEP trouble and that’s why we have the first overall pick !

Go AVS

Draft BPA.

Canyonero

Not that they’re the same type of player, but Scott Hannan was very effective at using size, strength and positioning to play a strong D-game for the Avs, without going around crushing guys with big checks or getting into fights.

On the other hand, you’ve got David Jones, who should be able to do the same thing, and sometimes does, but then only shows up to play once in a long while.

Just sayin’…

shaker

Except that,in Hannans case, he did everything he could to make sure that his body was never at any risk of being harmed…in any way. And since he also never really produced offensively he was sort of net zero. He wasn’t awful, he was just oatmeal. Plain ol oatmeal.

Chantal

That’s a great article Mr. Dater. That’s what we like reading. Facts. Thank you.

Randy Brandt

Drouin will go #3. He’s got Kane’s hands, but not his skating ability. MacKinnon is a better skater, which is why he will go #2 (also half a year younger than Drouin). As for concern over Jones being “one of the best,” remember that over half of the players were older than him. I wish Dater would have discussed the CO connections with Turgeon and Rutkowski. Maybe next article.

Go AVS

Mac will go #2 cause he’s a center. Drouin has outplayed him this season. Cant wait to see Drouin score his first 80+ point season next to Stamkos and St Louis, Tampa will make out like bandits with this draft.

Go AVS

We’re picking Jones, since he has all the hype and we need a defenseman. With Jones, Siemens, Barrie and Elliott, add Scuderi in the summer or someone like him and we’re gonna be ok.

Having said all that, looking at the draft history, whenever a d-man has been selected high up, forwards behind him ended up better players. Just like Drouin will be from this class.

Jimbotronn

Focusing on your second statement, I think that might end up being Jones’s biggest problem, is that if he’s picked first he’ll be expected to be a star immediately, because that’s what most forwards picked first end up as. If Erik Johnson were picked in the middle or later of the first round, rather than at the #1 pick, would so many people be calling him a “bust”? I doubt it… he’d have been able to mature at his own pace and people would be looking at all the things he can do rather than the things he can’t.

I’m not worried about Jones’s abilities, I’m worried about the expectations that will be placed on him as the #1 pick. He’s almost certain to not measure up to them, either immediately or down the road… what will that do to his game?

Puck Me Up

You’re absolutely right in all of your points Jimbo!!!

Having read so many comments regarding why S.J. should be the Avs pick, I think it’s fairly certain that he will get blasted for not being exactly what everybody has projected him to be in their minds. The way people rave on and on about him, it sounds as though most of his supporters have declared that he’s already the next Lidstrom. That’s a lot of pressure for a young player to live up to, let alone for a young D-Man.

I find it interesting that Dater pointed out the exact same strengths and weaknesses I noticed about S.J. too. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at some of his videos because both the pros and cons are staring right at you in the face.

shaker

Saw ten in the world juniors. He’s young and needs time,patience,and coaching…..

shaker

I meant “saw them” not saw ten…

Go AVS

Love how scouts can make an 18 year old prospect sound like he’s as good as prime Scott Niedermayer.

JF Martineau

Jones will be number 1 pick, Drouin and Mckinnon are going to play in sunshine Florida state so eastern team will have to deal with them. St-Louis Blues pick Erik Jonhson at number 1 instead of J- Toews, whos the worst, the blues or the Avs giving Stewart and Shattenkirk!!! I think the blues would have won the cup already with Toews, has for the Avs Duncan Siemens is the big question mark for that trade but nobody say much about him right AD!!!!.
If the D look like this i think the Avs will have the best young D core in the league
Jones Wilson
Jonhson Barrie
Elliott Siemens
O’Brien Hunwick

Chris DeMott

You have Jones coming in right away at 19 years old as your #1 pair playing 20+ minutes a game, this is what Terry Frei, Jimbo and others have been talking about. Pronger didn’t do this, Lidstrom didn’t do this, EJ wasn’t able to, Berard was injured but also was not able to step in and meet these kind of expectations etc… The Avs should take Jones if they want to build a strong hockey team. Offense starts with the first pass out of the zone, but fans need to understand that players develop over time.

Puck Me Up

Can’t really argue that logic Chris!!! But I think the same question still applies; what do the Avs do in the meantime on defense while S.J. is developing? That’s the question that no one seems to be able to answer right now and it’s a valid question.

EnzoSin

The Av’s need to attempt to move Stastny for more defensive help.

Puck Me Up

Moving Staz would seem to be the logical choice since they can’t touch O’Reilly for another year, but I really don’t see that happening unless he has a terrible camp. If they make any trades this off season, I’d bet they would look at McGinn, Jones or Downie, providing Downie has recovered from his knee injury. We shall see….

Chris DeMott

Unfortunately, I don’t see a quick Fix. I think Wilson returning helps, EJ another year older helps, Tyson Barrie another year older helps. Perhaps the same with Elliott. We will see if Duncan Siemens can come in and develop with a Vet like Matt Hunwick on the third pair and maybe in a year you see SJ moving into the line up. I think a new coach who isn’t so infatuated with Zanon’s shot blocking might help the situation as well. I think changing two or three guy’s (Zanon, Hejda, O’Byrne) and a coach is a nice start.

Puck Me Up

Some folks have stated that the Avs should package Wilson in a trade but I think the Avs would be foolish in doing so since they’re so short on quality D-men. Wilson is a better than average D-Man and the Avs would benefit by keeping him around for a few more years. I’m not a big supporter of Elliot yet because it’s painfully obvious he needs to establish better back-end control before we can even consider him a good defensive option. And from what I can tell, D.S. may crack the L.E. lineup, but he’s still too raw for the NHL just yet. So I’m not sure we can put in stock in him coming in to help for a bit. O’Byrne is already gone so I’m assuming you meant O’Brien, right?

Chris DeMott

Actually, I did mean O’Byrne, as I felt that moving him was a step in the right direction. IMO O’Brien did not play enough to be considered part of the problem. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that he is part of the solution either. But, I think you build a team back to front and up the middle. The Avs have a chance to do this if they are patient. Maybe they do sign a guy like Robin Regher as a stop gap while guys are developing. Hopefully, they don’t ruin Varly in the process. Also, none of this matters if Lacroix keeps running guys off. Craig Anderson looked great tonight again and Jay McClement would have made a difference this year.

Puck Me Up

I see. I think I misunderstood what you were trying to say up top. Moving O’Byrne was a good choice, but only if they start to weed out guys like Zanon and Hejda too. Otherwise, what the O’Byrne departure affords the Avs now is an opportunity to allow guys O’Brien and Elliot a chance to play more. I love O’Brien’s personality and would love to have a beer with that guy someday because he looks like he’d be fun to party with. But he’s not that great of a D-Man overall. Zanon is simply terrible outside of blocking shots. I mean really, that’s the ONLY thing this guy can do that is above average. Hejda looks like he just doesn’t care. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s the Avs, or perhaps something else altogether. Either way, it’s time for him to move on too.

Chris DeMott

Agreed, on all players. Unfortunately, That means we will probably have to wait another season for much improvement even if they sign a guy.

EnzoSin

Don’t forget the Blues aquired a 2nd rounder by the name of Ty Rattie in that trade whose numbers are very good with his current junior team.

Last week i spoke with Jonathan Drouin’s coach from midget AAA Lions, and he told me that the avalanche will regret if they dont draft Drouin ! Dont forget that if we draft Jones, we will have 4 right defender on 6, and 3 of them are offensive-minded. We would have to trade a Elliot

Victor Hedman is 22, Adam Larsson is 20. Johnson, the old guy of the three, is still only 25. They’re all very good defensemen, yes, but they’re all far too early in their careers to be written off yet for not being elite.

Chris Pronger didn’t make an NHL All-Star game until his sixth season in the league, and Nick Lidstrom wasn’t an All-Star until his fifth. Defensemen that drop into the league as teenagers ready to dominate are very few and far between. In three or four more years, we could all be desperately hoping that Jones becomes a player like Hedman, Larsson, or (maybe) even Johnson.

1STAV

Let’s see… Jones’ team loses with 4 goals against. Doesn’t sound too impressive from a defensive standpoint. Jones is -1 with nothing on the stat sheet. Yet Adrian Dater the scout proclaims he’s a must pick. I’d like to see him succeed but would sure hate to see the Avs waste a golden opportunity in a number one pick. Hopefully the Avs FO won’t get caught up in the somewhat irrational media hype of this guy.

Go AVS

I just hope Avs did their homework, that’s all. I hope they watched these guys all year and will make a smart decision, and not one based on hype.

Whatever we do, I hope Avs are out of the NHL basement pretty quickly. I’m tired of watching Avs lose. Hope season like last never again repeats itself, and leave the future “Tanking for McDavid” seasons to other teams…

Ramon

We should sign one or two proven D men and pick Drouin. I also think the Avs will regret it, if they don´t sign him. I don´t believe the hypes in todays world! Jones will be good, yeah, in 5 years! Drouin with P.A. and Dutchy on one line would be a joy to watch!

Jimbotronn

What “proven D men” do you sign, then? Pickings are slim this offseason: Gonchar, Regher, Zidlicky, Hamrlik (another #1 overall pick), Leopold… not a lot of names that knock your socks off on the UFA defensemen list, and what star-level players are on there are not exactly young guys. The bulk of the guys available this year are along the lines of Ryan O’Byrne, Rob Scuderi… not exactly top-pairing defensemen.

Sure, the Avs could go the way Edmonton has gone, and draft nothing but forwards and leave building defense an afterthought. As Oilers fans will tell you, that’s a great way to ensure you keep getting high draft picks.

EnzoSin

Regher and Scuderi would be solid additons, huge step up over mediocre guys you covet like Hunwick and Zanon.

shaker

How much faith do you have that Sherman would sign either of those guys???

rango

Fistric, Scuderi, Hainsey and Clitsome would be all good additions. Even if we could land some of them Seth should still be picked as #1. I would consider even Rozsival, R Whitney and Leopold.

Lots of good forwards out there, too, who could fit Avs very well. Stalberg, Bickell, MacArthur, Raymond and Filppula for an example.

I still hope Shermy can do something…

Just sayin..

Jimbotronn

Good additions, yes, and I do think the Avs should look into some of those guys you mentioned at D. But Ramon seemed to be saying that rather than signing Jones, the Avs can sign a couple free agent defenseman and then draft Drouin, thus fixing the Avalanche quick rather than counting on Jones to be a #1 D right away or waiting for him to develop.

One of the Avs biggest problems at D is that they have plenty of 2nd/3rd pairing guys, but their top pairing is extremely thin… EJ when he’s playing well is there, but he has no partner. Last offseason there were a couple D available that could be put alongside EJ and create a very promising #1 D pairing, but I don’t see anybody near that caliber on this offseason’s UFA list… I see a bunch of guys not too dissimilar to what they’ve already got.

I believe the answer is to draft Jones AND to look into free agent defensive help. Free agents can certainly help the defense, but it can’t be completely rebuilt on this year’s free agent market alone.

Puck Me Up

If the Avs want to get better immediately then they have to look at trades to fix their defensive woes. I have no idea who might be on their radar for a potential trade, but I truly hope they’re not expecting to draft S.J. and press on with the current defensive group though because my head might explode watching that mess again couple of years.That being said, I don’t think Scuderi would be a bad addition for the Avs at this point. If nothing else, he’ll be an outsider with a different perspective, which would be a nice change. He’s not a great addition, but he would be an improvement over what we currently have.

austin19

Proven D-men? Right, because they seem to grow on trees… Our defense is horrible and Jones could help, if not right away, then very soon, so we should pick him. He is the best defensive prospect in years and we’ll have a very high draft pick again next year to draft another forward anyway, so I hope they pick Jones!

Ben

Avs need to trade the pick for established players that can get this team winning now.

Go AVS

Why would you want an good established player, instead of a guy who could become a star? If there’s a next Ryan Suter or next Patrick Kane in this draft, impossible to pass up on that chance.

You can get those established players by signing free agents or trading.

Ben

Because the Avs need star players NOW. Not in 3-6 years. Have you not noticed that the Avalanche are irrelevant and the laughing stock of the NHL?

Eric Kevermin

Didn’t Ben CLEARLY state that the Avs should trade the pick for established players? Then you go and say that you can go and get those established players by trading?

I’ll bet you’re one of those people who think that the Avs can trade Stastny for Stamkos and that the Lightning would be happy to do so.

WTF? Are you brain dead? The Avs are going to have to give up something of value to get a star player on this team. They’re probably even going to have to take a loss to make it happen.

Jones, Drouin or McKinnon will all be nothing but band-aids for this team. There are NO star players on the Avs. None. To compete in the NHL, you need at least 2 star players, period.

Puck Me Up

In my mind, there’s a BIG difference between “established” and “Star” players. Established players are basically guys who have proven they belong in the NHL and are often very specific role players. Star players on the other hand are guys like Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos, St. Louis, Datsyuk, and Nash (to name a few) and they are guys that you’d trade your first born for. So no, there’s quite the disparity between what Ben is suggesting and what “Go AVS” was saying. Frankly, I’m more aligned with GA on this one than not.

The Avs are 5 or 6 players away from being a really good team. And that’s for both offense and defense. Some of those players might come from picks and prospects, but why would the Avs wait that long to find all the right players when there are players out there currently who can help their lineup? Plus, you also have to factor in chemistry too and that also takes a good 4 or 5 years. Now were talking a decade away from being a legit contender? I say make the necessary trades to gather the right pieces, not dismantle the whole team by sacrificing all your draft picks or prospects.

Chris DeMott

I think there is actually less risk in picking a Seth Jones and having him in the system than a Drouin or a Mckinnon. Look what the Avs gave up to get an underperforming Eric Johnson. If they picked Johnathan Drouin and he didn’t perform right away, (which is possible, this is the NHL), his trade value would diminish rapidly. For instance what is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins worth today versus 2 years ago?

Are you planning on traveling to any other cities that have top prospects, Dater? Or is Seth Jones the only player the Denver Post endorses? I think Jones is going to be very good. I just would like to see more information from you on the other top prospects in this years draft.

It’s because agents send trolls to forums like this to hype one person over the other.

Andrew K Wolfe

I’ve watched tape on the top 3, being Jones, McKinnon, and Drouin, and personally I see Jones being the best fit. He may not be the best player in the draft, but I see him improving the Avs is so many “little situations” like the first pass on the power-play, that it is a match made in heaven.

Plus, I trust Dater, being that his hockey eye is probably better than mine.

And honestly, there isn’t a perfect draft pick, perfection isn’t really a reality in sports. Drouin has a size issue, and McKinnon is great in many areas, but probably not a generational talent in any one area. I’ve heard rumor that Jones might get a 10 rating from hockeysfuture.com, meaning he is a generational talent, and could be compared to Bobby Orr, who is their example of a rating like that.

Puck Me Up

Lots of people keep saying that Drouin has size issues. He’s not that small of a guy!!! He’s 5’11” at 185, and currently one inch taller and 4lbs heavier than Patrick Kane. MacKinnon is one inch taller than Drouin and weighs the same as Drouin. Yet I haven’t heard one person make the same argument about him. So, if you want to say that S.J. is the player the Avs should take, than just point to the obvious reasons for why they should take him. But don’t conclude that S.J. is the better player choice based on size because there’s not much of an argument there for the positions each player plays.

Go AVS

“He may not be the best player in the draft”

And that’s the risk of drafting a D as #1. How many Avs fans would draft Hedman ahead of Duchene? Zero, I would think.

Mark T

Can’t we just all agree to the following?:

1) Jones, Drouin, and MacKinnon are all likely to be very good players and any of them would be great on the team.

2) The Avs’ scouting department has proved itself in the past, and they have much more experience and information than any of us, so whichever player they pick we should be happy with it.

In all honesty we have nothing to worry about with our 1st overall pick. Pracey is a genius and much better scout than any of us. I will be honest I wanted Drouin simply for the prospect of him and Duchene playing together. But from everything I’ve read Jones is a sure fire bet #1 all situation defenseman (something you simply cannot pass on). The kid had questions because he hasn’t been playing in the ohl… Joins Portland and tears it up.

Where we need to look is our second rounder. #31 overall in a deep draft needs to be a difference maker. We got O’reilly at #33 in a much weaker draft, Elliot and Barrie were 2nd and 3rd rounders. Hopefully we can get a star at 31.

shaker

Genius might be a bit strong. I don’t think there are many assessors of talent that would consider themselves or the others in their field geniuses.

Puck Me Up

We don’t get a 2nd pick this year.

Jimbotronn

If you’re thinking that they traded this pick in the Varlamov deal, the Caps took the Avs’ 2012 second rounder rather than their 2013 one. That 2012 2nd round pick was the one they acquired from Toronto for Lilies.

If they moved this pick in some other deal, though, you could be right.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.